Hendry Barrel Fermented Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023 070226CHILL with Czech Saaz-style hops providing

with Czech Saaz-style hops providing genuine bitterness balanced by a sturdy malt backbone

made by an estate flying nicely under the radar

drawn from vines grafted at Cedar Lane in Arroyo Seco about a decade ago

the highest-altitude village in the DOC

and this cuvee

Hendry Barrel Fermented Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023 070226CHILL with Czech Saaz-style hops providingThe Hendry family has been farming this ranch in the Mayacamas foothills west of Napa since 1939, and for decades they simply sold their fruit to the valley's famous names, only starting their own label in 1992. They still farm like growers, which is why they bottle two very different Chardonnays from the same estate. This is the rich one: fermented and aged in French oak barrels, worked for texture rather than restraint. Expect a broad, creamy palate